In pursuit of the good life...

August 17, 2010

Mix-Up Energy Bars

I've been playing around in the kitchen a lot lately. Last week, when I was doing my Vegan Week, I decided to experiment with making a snickity-snack that was dairy-free (since my usual go-to afternoon munchie is yogurt.) The result was nothing short of culinary genius.

Ok, maybe not... but these snack bars are damn good - I promise!

I don't know about you, but by the time 3PM rolls around I am starting to feel kind of lethargic and cranky and generally in need of some kind of boost to get me through the end of the day. That, and eating makes me happy, so rather than wait til I get home a few hours later, I prefer to have a (healthy) treat to hold me over. These babies fit the bill.

I'm calling these "Mixup Bars", because they can be completely customized to your taste or what foodstuffs you have on hand. This time, I used:

Almonds, chia seeds, flax seeds, shredded coconut, golden raisins, Nutzo!, and maple syrup.. but again, all of these things can be substituted. Let me show you how:

3 T. nut butter (I used Nutzo, which is a mix of nuts. You can use peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter... just make sure it's NOT unsalted.)

Put the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit into a food processor and give 'em a good whirl until they start to come together.

Place mix in a bowl. Add the shredded coconut, maple syrup, and nut butter. Stir it all together - it should be sticky.

Press into a square pan (I used an 8x8 incher) that's been coated with baking spray, then refridgerate a few hours before cutting into squares.

These taste like a peanut butter cookie to me... and yet they're very healthful, high in protein, and dairy-free. I'm thinking I'm going to experiment with a pistachio + dried cranberry + almond butter creation next...